“Congressional duties include more than just voting, and at times he has made the tough decision to miss a procedural vote in order to strategically promote and advance the interests of the region,” wrote press secretary Ron Goldwyn in an email. “These are never easy decisions and the congressman weighs how he can best represent his constituents whenever considering missing a vote.”

GovTrack.us statistics do not specify the type of votes lawmakers missed. The website keeps track of legislation in Congress and the state legislatures.

U.S. Rep. Tom Marino

While serving his first term, U.S. Rep. Tom Marino, R-District 10, was diagnosed with kidney cancer, and underwent surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. His daughter also was treated for cystic fibrosis.

Marino also missed votes after floods in Pennsylvania last summer from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, contributing to a 7 percent missed vote rate.

“Sometimes Tom’s commitment to the people of the 10th District means being in Pennsylvania rather than in Washington, as was the case a year ago when the district experienced devastating floods in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, ” wrote Marino’s press secretary, Sarah Wolf, in an email.

In 2012, two Pennsylvania reps have perfect attendance so far, including Charles Dent, R-District 15, and Lou Barletta, R-District 11. Dent sports a better career record, having missed 20 votes in a seven-year period that included 6,248 votes. Barletta, by comparison, has missed 24 votes and is wrapping up his first term.

Altmire first broke the streak when he attended a Medal of Honor ceremony in the spring.

Not all House members are satisfied with the spotty attendance records of their fellow representatives. In July, Republican Louisiana U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany introduced the “No Show, No Pay” Act. The bill would dock a member’s pay for missing a vote.

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